@Home Revisit: It all started in the kitchen…

…and $3,000 later, the whole first floor is transformed

By Janet Reynolds/Life@Home

Sally Quinn was sick and tired of the color of her kitchen cabinets. But when the quote to have them professionally painted came in at $8,000, she decided to take a different approach. The result, says this interior designer whose home we first featured in May 2009, “is the cheapest re-do in the history of re-dos.” It’s also proof that a little paint and fabric can go a very long way. “You wouldn’t leave your hair the same way (for 10 years); you wouldn’t leave your clothes the same way. Why do it with your house?”

The first floor was originally unified by a lot of primary colors, in particular yellow. “I went for urban chic this time,” Quinn says. “It’s more metro.”

Tips for the breakfast area:

If you’ve always had wallpaper, try to paint for a dramatic change.

Don’t forget about the artwork when changing wall colors.

Look for remnant sales to save money on fabric for upholstery.

Choosing warm hues for the drapery can make the area more cozy and inviting.

The kitchen was Quinn’s inspiration, where she was inspired by the gray overtones in the appliances to pick variations on taupe for each room on the first floor. She started with “creamy mushroom” by Sherwin Williams in the living room and dining room and moved from there. The result is an updated look with a warm, cozy feel.

Quinn is a sale shopper. All the fabric in this renovation was bought on sale. “You can get fabric at Jo-Ann (Fabrics) 50 percent off any day of the month,” she says. Another favorite stop for fabric is Alfred’s Fabric Center in Schenectady. She reupholstered the chairs herself — all you need are scissors and a staple gun.

“I’m perfectly happy with this kitchen now,” Quinn says. “Now I like the cabinets again.”

The furniture is in the same place; the rugs are in the same place. All Quinn did was paint the walls and change the fabrics in the couches and window treatments. “I didn’t even change the books in the bookcase,” she says.

Quinn eliminated the valances, which were dated. Michael’s Upholstery in Schenectady did the reupholstering; Quinn sewed the drapes and pillows. While she is clearly an accomplished seamstress, these drapes and pillows are simple. The drapes are just panels. “You could be done in less than two hours,” she says. “Anybody can do it.”

Of the white fabric, she has this to say: “Get something you really love. If it needs to be cleaned or replaced, so be it.”

Tips for the living room area:

Update your valances. New drapes can be a snap to sew, and pillows should be changed to match the updates.

Less is more. Furniture and rugs stay put. Just some simple changes to the color scheme, and the room is dramatically transformed.